Bridgeman, Elizabeth Klein, 1915-1999.

Elizabeth "Betty" (Klein) Bridgeman was born on August 30, 1915. She attended West High School in Minneapolis and graduated from Hamline University (St. Paul, Minn.) in 1936 with a degree in English literature. She also attended King's College, the University of London and the University of Minnesota. She married Donald Elliott Bridgeman, a lawyer, in 1937 and had six children.

Ms. Bridgeman was a well known writer and instructor of English. From 1957 to 1964 she was an adjunct lecturer at Hamline in the English department. During World War II, Ms. Bridgeman wrote three one-act plays supporting the purchase of war bonds, published by the U.S. Treasury Department. Even though her writing spanned many genres, Ms. Bridgeman was best known for her poetry.

Beginning in 1940, Ms. Bridgeman began to sell her poetry to newspapers and magazines across the county. Her poems were published in Good Housekeeping, Ladies' Home Journal, Christian Science Monitor, Parents' and Writer's Digest . She had two books of her poetry published in the 1950s: This is Minnesota and Pioneers in Progress: Chorus for American Women . Ms. Bridgeman was active in writers' conferences and workshops, and often spoke to school-aged children about the importance of writing.

In addition to her writing career, Ms. Bridgeman was a strong supporter of the Republican Party in Minnesota and a member of the Morningside Republican Committee. She was often the writer of newsletters and letters to the editors of the local papers regarding the views and activities of the Republican Party. Ms. Bridgeman died on July 18, 1999, at the age of 83.

From the guide to the Elizabeth Klein Bridgeman papers., 1952-1999., (Minnesota Historical Society)